La Scala Chopped Salad and Dressing Recipe (2024)

The La Scala Chopped Salad has become quite popular over the years. This simple but famous salad has a lovely Italian style dressing drizzled over crisp greens, salty salami and loads of tender garbanzo beans. It really is a light but deliciously satisfying salad.

The salad is named after La Scala Italian restaurant in Beverly Hills who first put it on their menu. It became popular after some famous celebrities raved about it. It is no wonder this became a viral recipe, it really is that good!

Having never been to Beverly Hills, I have not had the opportunity to try this first hand, but I have tried different versions of the salad and have come up with my own tasty take on it.

I love a chopped salad so I was happy to try The La Scala Chopped Salad. It is quite simple, using basic but fresh ingredients to make the salad and the tangy dressing. The original dressing is an Italian base of olive oil and red wine vinegar, with the addition of dry mustard. Many versions, including mine, replace the dry mustard with Dijon mustard since most people have this on hand.

What I love about this Salad

This recipe makes a large salad that is perfect as several entrees or as a side salad for a family dinner.

Making this chopped salad is incredibly easy and only takes a few minutes.

The dressing can be made a few days in advance and refrigerated so it is ready when you need it!

Ingredients and Substitutions for Making La Scala Salad

Salad Ingredients

Romaine Lettuce and Iceberg Lettuce– I love the combination of the two because they give the salad a refreshing and crispy texture. You can use all of one or the other if you like. The idea is to use a crisp lettuce to give the salad a nice crunch. The lettuce should be chopped or shredded into small uniform size pieces.

Soppressata Salami– Diced Soppressata is my go to salami for this salad. It is my favorite salami so I always have it on hand. But you can use Genoa, Hard Salami or your favorite type of Italian salami instead. Pepperoni would also be a great substitute.

Fontina– The original recipe calls for shredded mozzarella cheese, but I used Fontina instead. It has a similar texture as mozzarella but I think it adds a nuttier flavor.

Garbanzo Beans(Chickpeas) – A whole can of garbanzo beans goes into the salad. Rinse them well to remove all of the starchy liquid they were canned in.

Homemade Dressing Ingredients

Extra Virgin Olive Oil – This will be the base of your dressing so make sure that you use a good quality olive oil.

Red Wine Vinegar

Dijon Mustard –The original recipe was made with dry mustard. If you want to make this with dry mustard, I recommend using one teaspoon.

Red Pepper Flakes and Salt

Roasted Red Pepper– diced into small pieces

Pecorino Romano Cheese– Freshly grated if possible. Parmigiano Reggiano can be used in place of the Pecorino.

Instructions for Making the Famous La Scala Chopped Salad

1. Make the dressing first by whisking all of the ingredients in a glass bowl, jar or measuring cup.
2. Toss the garbanzo beans in 2-3 tablespoons of the tangy dressing and set aside.
3. Prepare the rest of the ingredients and add them to a large bowl along with the marinated garbanzo beans.
4. Top salad with the dressing and toss well. Sprinkle additional grated Pecorino Romano cheese on top if desired.

Variations or Additions

This may be a famous salad recipe but to make it one of your family’s favorite salads, make it your own by adding in ingredients they love. Here are some suggestions:

• Sun-dried tomatoes
• Diced bell pepper
• Sliced pepperoncini or banana peppers
• Halved cherry tomatoes
• Diced red onion
• Artichoke hearts
• Sliced ripe black or kalamata olives
• Thin strips of grilled chicken breast or
• Sliced Turkey

Tips

• If you have the time marinate the chickpeas for an hour or two before you make the rest of the salad. This will give the chickpeas time to take on some of the delicious flavors from the dressing.
• I suggest passing the dressing with the salad and allowing everyone to dress their own salad. This way you can store any leftover salad and dressing separately, ensuring that you will still have crunchy lettuce the next day.

Storage

This Italian chopped salad can be stored in the refrigerator for 1-2 days if placed in an airtight container. As I said above it is best to store the salad and the dressing separately if you don’t like soggy salad.

What to Serve With the La Scala Salad

This La Scala Salad is large enough to be served as a main course with some crusty bread or focaccia on the side. As a side salad this recipe is delicious with Chicken Limone, Homemade Shake and Bake Pork Chops or Grilled Lamb Chops.

Other Delicious Salad Recipes

If you are looking for more salad recipes to try, you will love these:

Zesty Italian Pasta Salad

Italian Green Bean and Potato Salad

Sicilian Fennel and Orange Salad

Italian Tomato and Cucumber Salad

La Scala Chopped Salad

This is a quick and easy version of the famous La Scala Salad which combines fresh crispy greens with a tangy vinaigrette. This recipe makes a large salad that is great for serving as entrees or as a side for a family dinner.

Nutrition

Serving: 6servingsCalories: 494kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 20gFat: 35gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 19gCholesterol: 45mgSodium: 958mgPotassium: 706mgFiber: 9gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 9828IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 260mgIron: 4mg